Global summit in KL tackles cervical cancer

Women Deliver 2013, the largest global event of the decade to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia May 28-30, will focus on the health and empowerment of girls and women.

With the 2015 Millennium Development Goal deadline fast approaching, it is  time to deliver for girls and women. The conference will serve as a global platform for ensuring that their health and rights remain top priorities.

Thousands of participants from around the world including government leaders, policymakers, healthcare professionals, NGO representatives, corporate leaders, and global media outlets, will be at the event.

One of the topics to be tackled is  cervical cancer, the second largest cancer killer (next to breast cancer) in low and middle-income countries.

In the Philippines 1,800 women are dying of cervical cancer  every year.

The saddest news is that more women die of cervical cancer in India than anywhere in the world. India is on the top spot in terms of overall deaths, with nearly 73,000 a year. India, together with China, Brazil, Bangladesh and Nigeria represent over 50 percent of the global burden of cervical cancer deaths.

These figures have been collected by the Cervical Cancer Crisis Card, which ranks countries from across the world based on the number of deaths from cervical cancer and the mortality rate from this preventable disease. The Crisis Card, which was launched globally on May 10, Mother’s Day, is available on the Cervical Cancer Free Coalition website.

Projections show that by 2030, almost half a million women will die of cervical cancer with over 98 percent of these deaths expected to occur in low and middle-income counties.

But take heart, cervical cancer is preventable, and there are many  ways to prevent it, says Emee Aquino, founder of She Matters Cervical Cancer Foundation Inc. Philippines. “Men and women both have a role to play in educating those around them to help create a world free of cervical cancer.”

According to the Crisis Card, Australia has the lowest cervical cancer mortality rate. This is due to the successful rollout of a comprehensive package of HPV vaccines, treatment and prevention. The government of Australia says there has also been a decline in genital warts and cervical abnormalities among young people since the introduction of the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine in that country.

Cervical cancer is  preventable, says Dr. Jennifer Smith, executive director of the Cervical Cancer Free Coalition. “Yet we are still seeing so many deaths around the world. At Cervical Cancer Free Coalition we are working towards building networks across the globe to help support our common goal of a world free of cervical cancer. Together we can dramatically  reduce this disease through vaccination, screening and education.”

As the Crisis Card will show, the startling disparities  between women in the developed and developing world are personified by cervical cancer.  A woman in Zambia is 25 times more likely to die from cervical cancer than a woman in Australia, and India has 750 times more deaths than Norway. “This level of inequity is also reflected across gender indicators with girls less likely to attend school but more likely to be malnourished and married as a child.”

What medical intervention is available to stem the tide of CC deaths? This is through the reduction of the cost of the HPV vaccine. The New York Times reported that two companies said they would reduce prices to less than $5 per dose for the world’s prices. The vaccines that protect against the strains of the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus that cause 70 percent of cervical cancers, cost almost $130 in the United States.

Seth Berkley, CEO of the GAVI Alliance said GAVI has been negotiating for countries eligible for support, opening the door for millions of girls in the world’s poorest countries to be protected against cervical cancer. Ghana will be one of the first African countries to receive the vaccine this year with GAVI support.

World leaders are encouraged to look seriously at the inequity issue. “By investing in women, nations are investing their future prosperity. If women are educated, are represented politically and have access to good quality health services, then they and their children are much more likely to stay healthy and contribute positively to their nation,” says Sania Nishtar, federal minister for science and technology, Pakistan. “Huge progress has been made across the world, but much more can be done to save and improve millions of women’s lives, particularly those from the poorest and most marginalized communities.”

Cervical cancer is a taboo issue in many places as it is linked to sexual transmission. Thus women’s groups and civil  society should join together to lead movements that break through stigma, patriarchy and other society barriers. 

Women are encouraged to visit their health providers for early screening of precancers. Treatment of precancers is advancing, specialists say,  providing hope to hundreds of thousands of women who missed out on the vaccine health systems and who need to be strengthened so that they can avail of and have  access to treatment that is  affordable.

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Will travel tours mend fractured relations between countries? Hopefully, they will. Just before the shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman in Philippine waters that caused an uproar, a two-day  â€œTime for Taiwan”  travel fair was put up by the Kuala Lumpur-based Taiwan Tourism Bureau and staged for the second time in Manila by Mike Minana’s ThemeWorks Events. The fair successfully showcased Taiwan’s tourist spots, including shopping, folk arts and cuisine centers.  Joining this year’s fair were 18 trade partners including five airlines and top travel agents that promote Taiwan as a destination hub.

The Taiwan Tourism Bureau, in its effort to market Taiwan and boost tourist arrivals, has produced the year-long Taiwan Tourism Events Calendar that includes the colorful Taiwan Lantern Festival in February, the thrilling Xiuguluan River Rafting Activity in June, and the romantic Love in Alishan - Wedding Under Sacred Tree in October.

While Filipinos are targeted to visit Taiwan, Taiwanese should be allowed to visit the Philippines, don’t you think?

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